It appears that when Porsche was trying to meet the bumper impact regs while in between model redesigns they did a pretty good job with the front and rear "accordions" but must have come up a little short in the back - hence those big bumpers that ruin the classic body lines ( kind of a Demi Moore effect)

Does anybody have any experience with removing these things and filling the resultant gaps?

I haven't noticed, but did the european/ROW cars have these things?

 

Euro cars have them albeit a bit smaller and with a higher separation to allow for the wider license plate.

 

Juan is exactly correct.

Remove the rubber bumpers from behind the bumper...you'll have to remove your muffler first...then you will have access to the nice and corroded-on nuts.

 

After removal, there will be a gap in the bumoer trim and no License plate lights.

I was wondering if there was a kit that filled this in. This car is mainly a street/pleasure drive so I have to be careful of safety regs.
( I don't want those guys who pursue peolple for removing labels from pillows/upholstery after me)
and I would want a nice clean look.

 

Here's what it'll look like when you're done.



Not my car, but I plan to do the same thing one of these days. I did remove the guards (3 13mm/M8 nuts apiece) and i'd rather look at the empty holes than look at those gigantic black guards anymmore!!!

 

I've removed mine before and did not have to remove the muffler first. It's a bit of a contortionist act, but a small ratchet should do.

 

That pic shows a nice clean look but what about monunting license plate, and lights?

 

I don't know why that car doesn't have a license plate bracket. Has nothing to do with the bumper guards, so if you remove the guards, the license plate remains.

You're right as far as the license plate lights are concerned. You'll have no place to mount the factory lights if you remove the guards. I don't care because my car is not a daily driver. There are alternative solutions such as tastefully illuminated license plate frames and separate lights which you could mount on the bumper somewhere? I recall a discussion about this topic on Pelicanparts and I think someone posted some decent looking lights from maybe JC Whitney?